Electronic FEL level indicator

[SPYDERLK]

WaxMan,

Your electronic FEL level indicator has me thinking. It shows level only when the bucket is on the ground, correct?

I would like to know when the bucket is level at any height. This would be handy with my QA forks. I wonder if there is a way, electronically, to show when the bucket or forks are level at any height? Electronic level indicator with display.

Got me thinking...

Mercury switch at a well protected spot on the bucket carrier with well protected wires running to a well protected light. ... Or just use a surface on the bucket as a visual reference. Totally rugged and will inherently accomodate all situations including uneven ground instances via parallel processing capabilities conveniently available in the brain.

 

[Fallon]

Anybody know why self-leveling isn't common on CUTs? I'm assuming extra weight (and expense) for the extra hardware & geometry required for it & resulting decrease in lift capacity? Or extra electronics for the Kubota system on the smaller Grands.

 

[ovrszd]

Mercury switch at a well protected spot on the bucket carrier with well protected wires running to a well protected light. ... Or just use a surface on the bucket as a visual reference. Totally rugged and will inherently accomodate all situations including uneven ground instances via parallel processing capabilities conveniently available in the brain.

My brain must not work like yours. I can't tell "bucket level" with it elevated very accurately. And when the bucket is higher than my head I can't see the stupid little bent piece of metal on top of it. I can keep from dumping material and that's about it.

I challenge you to stick a magnetic bubble level on the bottom of your bucket, then elevate it up to a height of several feet and take your best guess as to level. Then check the bubble level. Report your findings.

 

[SPYDERLK]

My brain must not work like yours. I can't tell "bucket level" with it elevated very accurately. And when the bucket is higher than my head I can't see the stupid little bent piece of metal on top of it. I can keep from dumping material and that's about it.

Hint. Look at the bottom of the bucket when you can see it.

...Ok. Ill park on level ground and try that w/i a couple days.
larry

 

[ovrszd]

Hint. Look at the bottom of the bucket when you can see it.

...Ok. Ill park on level ground and try that w/i a couple days.
larry

Yeah, I'm anxious to hear what you find out.

Hint. You'll probably miss by quarter bubble.

 

[JD5210]

One of the reasons that I visit this site is to learn about all the creative ways the members solve problems to that end thank you WaxMan for taking the time to share what you have done. I hope some of the comments made do not stop others from posting their solutions to problems.

Another reason is to learn more about operating my tractor and operating it safely. While most of my use of my bucket is hauling dirt, gravel and firewood, the bucket is low to the ground and not all that full. Thanks to WaxMan post I knew there would be times in the future that I will need to know the bucket is level both on level and unlevel ground, after bring some firewood to the house the other day on the return trip with an empty bucket. I spent part of the trip learning if the bucket was level at various heights, a couple times stopping to get off and check. An exercise I needed to do, so again I say thank you Waxman.

 

[WaxMan]

WaxMan,

Your electronic FEL level indicator has me thinking. It shows level only when the bucket is on the ground, correct?

I would like to know when the bucket is level at any height. This would be handy with my QA forks. I wonder if there is a way, electronically, to show when the bucket or forks are level at any height? Electronic level indicator with display.

Got me thinking...

The electronic fel indicator works just like the factory rod with the bend in it. When your in the bend at any height or the green light is on at any height the bucket is level with the ground when the bucket touches the ground.
It is not like a self leveler mechanism that has arms and levers to keep the bucket level while your raising the arms.
It does however let you find level at any hight. When the green light is on with the bucket high over head it's dead level on the ground.

 

[WaxMan]

I think he has it so if the bucket is level at any height. I am looking for an inclinometer with a remote sensor that would work. Something like the attached but more tractory. Both x and y would give you roll too. The sensor would mount to the back of the SSQA frame, then just a cable to the operator station.

Tom I would be very surprised if that would work. I posted this earlier in the thread.
This is why I don't think it would work.

I think the problem you're going to find with the remote sender tilt setup is, your still going to need some sort of mechanical device to fix level even though you're not level with the ground. Just like the bend in a stock rod type indicator, once your in that bend it stays that way until you curl the bucket.
With a free floating tilt sensor on your bucket you won't be able to finally set level until your bucket is on the ground right in front of your work.

For example after dumping the bucket I set the bucket level again while I'm on the move with the Fel arms still coming down. I think with a electronic tilt sensor riding across the yard to pickup another load that light will be blinking in and out of level the whole way. Soon you'll say I had enough of these Disco lights in the cab. There has to be some sort of mechanical device that keeps it locked level with the plane of the tractor. Therefore the rod.

I don't know if you have an IPhone , but there is a tilt sensor App. Try it in your hands and see how sensitive it is, then walk around and hold it on zero. There is a damping on it which makes it even worse, makes it slow, so you have to wait for it to reach zero, then if you past zero you have to wait again to go back to zero. Since you can't see the meter you're working that curl back and forth hoping you'll stop at the right spot. Imagine that strapped to your bucket hooked to a light in your cab.

Plus on the sensor your looking for, you won't have the caution red arrow light to let know your coming up on level. Like the factory rod ,you can see your coming up to the bend.
On my rod, zero is fixed, that is the short groove. The longer milled grooves in the rod are for the red lights, that lets you know your coming up to level.

That is the reason for two arrows and one green if you past green you have to know which way to curl the bucket. So you need three lights. Not sure if a remote sensor will have that capability.

 

[WaxMan]

Yes, convenient for single purpose. Not a difficult thing to mentally correct for. I use my tractors for a lot more than piles. Mechanical paraphernalia gets scraped off. I need something bullet proof and capable in every circumstance.
larry

I really don't understand why the indicators get scraped off, in one sentence pro operators (not just you, others have said that also) say how good you are at guessing level But yet your not good enough the keep things from ripping your indicators off?

What happens that rips your indicators off? Don't get me wrong. I'm not coming down on you, I just want to know what you do wrong while operating the tractor to rip the indicator off?
The force it would take to rip off my indicator rod off would be the same force it would take to snap a fitting off the curl piston or rip a hydraulic hose off. I don't worry about either when I'm using my tractor.

 

[k0ua]

I really don't understand why the indicators get scraped off, in one sentence pro operators (not just you, others have said that also) say how good you are at guessing level But yet your not good enough the keep things from ripping your indicators off?

What happens that rips your indicators off? Don't get me wrong. I'm not coming down on you, I just want to know what you do wrong while operating the tractor to rip the indicator off?
The force it would take to rip off my indicator rod off would be the same force it would take to snap a fitting off the curl piston or rip a hydraulic hose off. I don't worry about either when I'm using my tractor.

When the one on my Kioti "wadded up" it wasn't because I hit something with it, it was because the tube and nut was not tight enough and/or no locktight was used and the tube/nut dropped down and the rod wadded itself up. The reason I did not notice it was because I was working in the dark. I just straightned the rod, and locktighted the tube and nut, and "staked" them for good measure. I have never had a problem with it since in over 200 hours and a fair portion in the brush and woods. I am not saying it would be impossible for a limb to tear one up, but I would think you would notice (if you were working in daylight) I think the Kubota model is actually a little better protected than the Kioti version.

James K0UA